Project Sidewalk Launch!

We're excited to announce the beta launch of Project Sidewalk, a transformative new tool that empowers anyone—from motivated citizens and caretakers to government workers and urban enthusiasts—to remotely and quickly label accessibility problems by virtually walking through city streets. Our vision is to fundamentally change the way accessibility information about the built environment is collected and visualized. Imagine, for example, maps that show the accessibility of our cities at-a-glance or a navigation app on your smartphone that provides accessible routes for people with mobility impairments.
Join us! Visit http://sidewalk.umiacs.umd.edu to get started! Click “Participate” and complete a few short missions! In private beta testing, 126 users mapped the accessibility of over 245 miles of DC streets--that’s nearly 25% of all streets in the city (and greater than the distance from DC to New York!). With just 10-15 minutes, you can make a difference!
DC is just the beginning. Our long-term vision is to deploy Project Sidewalk in every city in the world that has Google Street View!
Be a part of this revolution!
Help us make the world a better place for everyone!

We are experiencing a historic moment: a worldwide pandemic, record-breaking unemployment rates, glaringly anti-education and anti-immigration rhetoric and policies from the White House (link), and now, protests and rightful anger about the unjust death of George Floyd and the systemic racism that plagues the US.
The Makeability Lab stands with the Black and African-American communities. We must all work together to combat the hate and racism and the social and economic injustices in our society. We must hold each other accountable—from our friends to our family members to our institutions. We must do more.
As an educator, as a father, and as a human, I am morally obligated and emotionally bound to proactively fight for a better future and help positively shape society.
I will use my privilege to fight.
Jon

The Columbus, OH deployment of Project Sidewalk was just covered by the local ABC news station. The 2.5 minute segment (view it here) featured Dean Allemang, one of the lead volunteers of the Project Sidewalk Columbus deployment.

The Columbus, OH deployment of Project Sidewalk was just covered by the local ABC news station. The 2.5 minute segment (view it here) featured Dean Allemang, one of the lead volunteers of the Project Sidewalk Columbus deployment.